Calgary Expo 2025: A jubilant celebration of cosplaying and community
By Ansharah Shakil, Hannah Caparino, April 30 2025—
Cosplayers had their moment to shine during the four-day weekend of this year’s Calgary Expo. Their joy in dressing up as their favourite characters was infectious to both attendees of expo and passersby who wanted pictures with them. On a journey to find a few of the most impressive cosplays, the Gauntlet interviewed a few cosplayers on the hard work that went into their costumes.
The Painted Lady (Avatar: The Last Airbender) by Joanna
With the voice actors for Aang, Sokka, Zuko and Iroh all being in attendance at Calgary Expo, we found a number of incredible Avatar: The Last Airbender cosplays. One of those included a cosplay of The Painted Lady, the benevolent spirit impersonated by Katara during the show’s third season, the best season of the show — and one of the best seasons of animated shows and TV shows in general.
The Painted Lady is an immediately recognizable figure whose makeup and costuming is gorgeously ethereal. Those are qualities that were perfectly portrayed in this lovely cosplay by Joanna, who shared that what she enjoys most about cosplaying is the encouraging environment.
“I love how supportive the community is and how we’re just able to express ourselves without being judged,” Joanna said.
Glinda (Wicked) by Lindsey (@ladyelunas)
Wicked has been a beloved musical for years, but its 2024 film adaptation paved way for even more immense popularity, becoming a game-changer for musicals in the current film and industry and for pop culture. There were plenty of Elphaba and Glinda cosplays at this year’s Expo, and this cosplay by Lindsey captured the most magical parts of the costuming for Glinda’s character.
“I have loved Glinda for so long,” said Lindsey, who first got into cosplay at Otafest. “I saw the opportunity to walk around in a big pink bubble gown and I couldn’t pass it up.”
Hell of Mirrors Mitsuba by Autumn (@autumnscosplay)
This creative cosplay is composed of many unique pieces put together with astonishing detail. Autumn, who did her degree at UofC, is an impressive and dedicated cosplayer who has won numerous competitions. She first got into cosplay when she and her friends went 13 years ago, thinking they needed to dress up.
“We showed up, realized you didn’t have to, but the passion was already there,” Autumn explained.
That passion has remained in the rest of her cosplaying experience, where she’s only increased in terms of skill and creativity.
Tech (Star Wars: The Bad Batch) by Olivia (@myersbtxchh)
The Star Wars franchise has been around for over 40 years and has spawned many movies, shows, and books for decades. Olivia’s cosplay is an homage to the lovable character from one of the more recent Star Wars animated series, The Bad Batch. The geekiest out of the batch, Olivia had the iconic goggles that separated Tech from his band of brothers.
Olivia has been into cosplay for around three years, making appearances in both Calgary and Edmonton at their respective expos. Cosplay and portraying characters is a practice that allows all fans to express their appreciation for the franchise and its wide range of characters.
“You could really be anybody you want to be! It opens up the world for you!” said Olivia.
Spider-Man Samurai by Andy (@andihandro)
Spider-Man is a character that has been interpreted over and over again. With the introduction of the Spider-Verse, any iteration of the character is possible. This Spider-Man Samurai cosplay was eye catching and incredibly detailed, with the red and blue colour way indicating the characters presence. Andy had crafted a cosplay that included armour-like scaling and a helmet with the iconic eye mask which was paired with nunchucks.
The iconic character garnered a decent following throughout the expo with many people looking to take a photo with the samurai. Spider-Man as a brand has fostered a community for people to express themselves and others with similar interests, as well as provided a space for people to be themselves and have fun.
Ultramarine Veteran Space Marine (Warhammer) by Peter
Towering over the others was Peter in his Ultramarines Veteran Space Marine cosplay. The Warhammer franchise has its fair shares of groups and factions, but the Ultramarine blue stood out among the crowd at Calgary Expo. Peter had been inspired by other cosplayers and opted to try cosplay with the intent to explore his limits.
Created from EVA foam, wood, PVC and more, the cosplay was shaped and painted to look like the armour found in the tabletop game. Peter discussed how cosplay has the ability to inspire others to express themselves or represent their love for their respective franchises.